EU grants visa-free travel to Ukrainians

The European Parliament with 521 votes for and 75 against, approved the bill to grant Ukrainian nationals visa-free travel to the EU. Ukrainians who hold a biometric passport will be able to enter the EU without a visa for 90 days in any 180-day period, for tourism, to visit relatives or friends, or for business purposes. They will not be able to work without proper permits. The exemption applies to all EU countries, except Ireland and the UK. “Ukraine has achieved all the benchmarks, so the visa requirement should be lifted,” noted rapporteur for the proposal Mariya Gabriel, adding that the visa waiver will be “another very strong message that Ukraine is a key partner for the European Union in the Eastern Partnership.”